


Resident 'kinda cute bookstore guy'

by VoidLeviathan



Series: Coffee-Stained Books - Half Life AU [1]
Category: Half-Life
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bookstore, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gordon's Mute Barney's sorta a fool, Short One Shot, What else is new, theres literally not much else to tag this as?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:14:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24796759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VoidLeviathan/pseuds/VoidLeviathan
Summary: The fic where Barney and Gordon actually meet one another in the Coffee Stained Books AU except its really choppy and kinda old so I apologize in advance that its not nearly as good as some of my other fics have been.
Relationships: Gordon Freeman & Barney Calhoun
Series: Coffee-Stained Books - Half Life AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1756636
Comments: 1
Kudos: 73





	Resident 'kinda cute bookstore guy'

**Author's Note:**

> there was no beta read to this but i do go back and fix things when I can

Gordon remembered just about every face of every person who frequented 17 City Books. Professor's looking for specific stories, students there to pick up the newest read suggested by teachers, and others who simply came in to have a look at the cozy little place hidden away by more popular stores. Being one of two employees made it more than easy to learn what everyone was there for, but there was always one frequent visitor that Gordon was never able to figure out.

Barney Calhoun. 

That's what his dad said his name was. 

No matter how often he visited the bookstore, Gordon could not put together what Barney was visiting for. Perhaps it was simply just to study, but that felt like an odd thing to do when Resonance Cafe was just next door and probably far more comfortable a place to do that in. However the man had to have frequently visited the coffee shop itself with how strongly he smelled of its coffee. 

_ So why was he here? _

"If he's ever a bother to you Gordon, you could just tell me." Kleiner offhandedly suggested, "Though he really is a sweet young man. I think he's just a bit tired from college and work. Needs a nice quiet place to rest. He's stopped by frequently before you started to work here actually, sometimes even offered to help me put some books away."

_ "So he is a college student then? I figured he might be but I never see him studying anything." _

"Correct! I'm not actually sure what he's studying. Never thought to ask him about it, but I can say you graduated two years before him. He's on his last."

Gordon hummed. So maybe the guy wasn't as bad as he thought he was. Just tired. He'd have to keep an eye out in case he was still there during closing.

And he was on some days.

Gordon's particular favorite day was one where Barney actually  _ was _ studying. Laptop out with paper and books skewed around the table. He looked almost entirely invested in his studies for at least three hours until Gordon caught him sleeping.

Part of him wanted to wake Barney up before it hit closing, but another part of him wanted to let the clearly overworked student sleep passed. It's not like Gordon had anywhere to go tonight so maybe it wouldn't hurt to let him sleep in a little. Plus the guy looked kinda cute, almost peaceful, as he slept with his face nearly on his laptop.

"Gordon I hope you don't mind, but I- oh dear is he still here?" Kleiner chuckled, clearly just as amused by Barney sleeping as Gordon was,"He usually leaves around six...well in any case, I'm headed upstairs. It's a bit late and I would like to try and come down early tomorrow to sort the rest of the books."

_ "You're more than welcome to leave early, I can handle everything down here dad."  _ Gordon signed, eyes not moving away from Barney still very much sleeping at the back table,  _ "I'll be sure to wake Calhoun up when I leave." _

With a small yawn and a wave goodbye, Kleiner left the store in Gordon's hands to go rest.

Now all there was for Gordon to do was sort a few more of the new books and wake up the currently still sleeping person in the back. The more he thought about that situation arising, the more he sort of dreaded not having Kleiner do it instead.

He didn't even really know this guy. How would he react to Gordon? Did he even know asl? Maybe he should grab a yellow pad for backup in case he didn't. While Gordon's mind spiraled in thought on how to go about the situation, his hands decided to have a mind of their own, fumbling and promptly dropping a rather thick book upon the floor with a slam. 

Barney jostled from his nap, looking around frantically at his current whereabouts and lord above it took all of Gordon's strength not to laugh at the look on the poor student's face. He looked like a startled cat caught in the act of doing something scandalous.

"I-I..oh man what..where?" His eyes locked on Gordon's. Suddenly the poor employee felt like  _ he  _ was the startled cat now. "I am  _ so  _ sorry I didn't mean to- what time is it? 12 am? You should be closed! I seriously didn't mean-" he rambled on, hands raking through his hair while he attempted to gather up the scattered papers around the table. 

" _ Hey hey no it's okay, really! _ " Gordon signed. Ah! Right. Didn't even know if the guy-

"I'm sorry my sign language is really,  _ really, _ rusty. I think you said it's okay? But I uh…"

" _ Yes. _ " Gordon laughed a little. " _ Ah! Hold on a second. _ " Barney, still dazed and confused, watched Gordon quickly run over to a set of drawers and pull out a yellow pad and a pen.

'Hᴇʀᴇ. Tʜɪs sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴇʟᴘ ᴜs.' He scrawled out.

"Oh! Yeah actually that helps a lot. Uh...right...I'm sorry for falling asleep for so long. Guess all the studying on top of work is really getting to my head recently but...uh...yeah I'm sorry."

'Hᴇʏ I ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ! Cᴏʟʟᴇɢᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ ᴀ ʙɪɢ sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ ᴍᴇ I ᴋɴᴏᴡ. I ɢʀᴀᴅᴜᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴀɢᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴇʟʟ...ᴄʟᴇᴀʀʟʏ ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴅᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ. Dᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴘʟᴀɴ ᴏɴ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴛʜɪs ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴛɪᴍᴇ sᴏᴏɴ.'

"Just because you work here doesn't mean college didn't do you any good. I absolutely love this bookstore, always glad to know the old man has someone helpin' him out nowadays."

'I ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs ᴘʟᴀɴɴᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ʜᴇʟᴘɪɴɢ ʜɪᴍ. Hᴇ ɪs ᴍʏ ᴅᴀᴅ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ.'

"Hes your dad?" 

Gordon laughed at the surprise in Barney's voice. Guess he couldn't blame Kleiner for never telling people.

'Yᴇᴀʜ. I ᴡᴀs ᴀᴅᴏᴘᴛᴇᴅ ᴜʜ..ᴡʜᴇɴ I ᴡᴀs ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ. Hᴇ ᴋɴᴇᴡ ᴍʏ ᴘᴀʀᴇɴᴛs ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ʙᴜᴛ- sʜᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ɢᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀʟʟ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ.'

"Right, right uh...well uhm...it was nice meeting you. I'm still so sorry about staying this late I just…sometimes my brain can't help itself and needs sleep. The name's Barney Calhoun by the way if uh- you ever wanna talk again sometime."

Gordon hummed, watching Barney hastily put the rest of his college work into his bag. The other stretching one last time before he stood up.

'Iᴛ ᴡᴀs ɴɪᴄᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʀᴏᴘᴇʀʟʏ Bᴀʀɴᴇʏ, Mʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇs Gᴏʀᴅᴏɴ Fʀᴇᴇᴍᴀɴ. Pᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴍᴀʏʙᴇ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ sᴏᴍᴇᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ.'

"Oh I'd be cool with that. My lunch break is usually around 12, I can try and stop by then. I..uhm...see ya around Gordon."

He watched Barney quickly make his way out of the store. Part of him sort of wondered if he'd actually ever interact with Barney again.

When Barney finally made his way outside and over to his car parked in front of the Resonance Cafe, he ran the entire situation over in his head on loop until he was finally home and wondered how he was going to explain to Alyx that the resident 'kinda cute bookstore guy' caught him still sleeping in the bookstore at 12 am.

**Author's Note:**

> *kicks leg out* my tumblr . hell is enby-crow or coffeestained-books


End file.
